


Cats Don't Like To Be Cornered

by AngelWithAStory



Series: Young Justice Parodies (just for fun) [5]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: AU, Bonus: Jason is alive!, Cat Ears, Catlad AU, Dick is still liek an older brother, Kaldur is uncomfortable with having a thief on the team, Multi, My AU my rules, Stray!Tim, Suggestive Themes, Team Dynamics, Tim flirts with everyone, because I fell in love with it, but Bats don't care, but he shows up later, protectivness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-19
Updated: 2013-12-08
Packaged: 2017-12-24 00:42:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 6,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/933094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelWithAStory/pseuds/AngelWithAStory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It’s the same as all the others: clean entry and exist, security overridden, the jewels taken without setting off any alarms, no note or signature to pin anyone to the crime.” She replied. “But it’s definitely them. Definitely the cat-burglars."</p><p>There's a new cat on the prowl in Gotham, and he's just like his mentor: sneaky, neutral to the law and good at his job. But when a golden opportunity arise, he decides to see how the other half live.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Here Comes The Cat

**Author's Note:**

> If you have a tumblr account, look up the tag Catlad because it is one of the greatest things to ever happen to me. Seriously, Catlad!Tim is adorable and I am head of heels for it. 
> 
> I don't own anything and enjoy!

“Looks like this is a dead-end again, Nightwing.” Wonder Girl reported into her comm. link. Impulse was still zipping around, trying to get some sort of clue but without results. 

“Okay, Wonder Girl,” Nightwing acknowledged, pinching the bridge of his nose on the other end of the link. “Any new evidence you can report?” 

“Not that we can see. It’s the same as all the others: clean entry and exist, security overridden, the jewels taken without setting off any alarms, no note or signature to pin anyone to the crime.” She replied. “But it’s definitely them. Definitely the cat-burglars.” 

“You keep such low opinions of us.” A voice said, drawing both heroes attention to them. It was a boy, around Wonder Girl’s age. He had a very close-fitting bodysuit on which extended into a hood which stopped on the top of his head with small cat ear protruding. The suit blended expertly into a pair of clawed gloves which were curled around the edge of the platform he was crouched on. His hair was long and he currently had a pair of orange tinted goggles keeping it out his eyes. A coiled up whip was hooked on his belt, where a small pouch was tied as well. There was a very feline sense about him. 

“Hey, I know you,” Impulse remarked, zipping over to Wonder Girl’s side, looking up at the newcomer. 

“I’m flattered.” The boy purred, tilting his head to the side and smiling at them. “But I’m afraid I have to be on my way. Oh, and tell Nightwing to stop sending his Junior Justice League after us; cats don’t like to be cornered, after all.” He said, launching himself off the roof with unexpected grace. He disappeared in an alley between two buildings but the two heroes could make out a figure swinging from a fire escape. 

“Cassie? What just happened?” Nightwing sounded a bit panicked because of the sudden disconnection. 

“We just met the kitten burglar. And he doesn’t seem to appreciate you sending us after him. Should we follow him?” She replied. Nightwing gave a sigh of exasperation. 

“No. Rendezvous back here as soon as you can.” He ordered. “Nightwing, out.” 


	2. Look What The Cat Brought Back

“Selina, I’m back.” The boy announced, slipping through the large windows that took up a large portion of the wall. A woman was sat on the couch, lazily flicking the pages of a magazine. She was absent-mindedly stroking a grey cat that was curled up at her side. 

“Hey, kitten. Have fun?” Selina asked, looking up as the boy entered their apartment. 

“Lots. I ran into a couple of the Justice League kids on the way back.” He replied, unhooking the small pouch and placing it on the coffee table. 

“They didn’t cause you any trouble, did they Timmy?” Selina said, sitting upright to show she was paying full attention. 

“Not in the slightest. It was just Impulse and that Wonder-kid.” Tim said. 

“Well, at least they didn’t catch you.” Selina said evenly, “don’t forget about that fundraiser event tomorrow.” She reminded him. 

“Oh, I hate going to those things, there’s never anyone I can talk to.” Tim complained. Selina stood up from the couch, gently shifting the cat away from her. She pulled Tim into a hug, smoothing down his hair while she did so. 

“I know you don’t like these events but I don’t feel comfortable leaving you here while I’m gone for the night.” Selina admitted. 

“But you’re happy for me to go out and snatch jewels by myself?” Tim questioned, a small smirk on his face. 

“That’s different, kitten.” Selina protested. 

“Okay, I’ll suffer through.” Tim promised. 

“That’s my boy.” Selina praised. “Now let’s see what you managed to swipe.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Motherly!Selina is really nice to write.


	3. I Don't Do Formal Situations

“Ahh, Selina, Tim, you made it.” Bruce greeted when he spotted her. His gaze took in their appearances. Selina had picked her favourite formal dress: a deep red, floor length dress with no sleeves and a piece of material sewn onto the front that draped over her shoulders and down her back. Tim, on the other hand was his standard jet black suit (and Selina had insisted that he actually wore a tie this time) and small cat head cufflinks as a small rebellion. 

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” Selina purred, putting that suggestive edge on her voice which made Tim cringe. She was practically his older sister (technically his legal guardian but she always acted more of a sister than a mother anyway) so hearing her flirting always creeped him out. 

“Oh, Selina, I’d like to introduce you to Diana Prince and Oliver Queen. Diana is here as a representative for Themyscira and Oliver is a fellow philanthropist from Star City.” Bruce said, waving over two new people. The woman had long dark hair while the man was blonde with a funny goatee (well, funny to Tim). Oliver was clad in a pressed suit and Diana was sporting a long, classic black dress with small star earrings in. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Miss Kyle.” Diana said, shaking Selina’s hand good-naturedly. 

“Call me Selina. It’s nice to meet you both.” Selina replied, shaking Oliver’s hand as well. “This is my ward, Tim.” She said, resting her hands on Tim’s shoulders and squeezing them comfortingly. 

“Nice to meet you.” Tim said awkwardly, wishing Selina didn’t do this to him. 

“That reminds me, where’s Cassie gone?” Diana said, looking around. She spotted Cassie and beckoned her over. Cassie didn’t look like Diana in which she had fair hair and blue eyes (similar to Oliver, actually). Her outfit was comprised of black, jewel scattered dress that stopped at the knee, which threw the light and simple flat shoes. Her hair was held back with a hairband and she had star earrings in. Immediately, Tim recognised her as Wonder Girl. She didn’t keep it subtle, did she?

“Selina, Tim, Cassie is my protégé and apprentice.” Diana introduced.

“It’s nice to meet you Cassie.” Tim replied, taking the initiative.

“Oh, Tim, why don’t you and Cassie go get some drinks?” Selina suggested, so in tuned to Tim’s awkwardness that she couldn’t resist. “Nothing I wouldn’t drink.” She added, gently prompting him forwards. Tim shot her a glare but extended an arm towards Cassie in a good-mannered fashion. Cassie wrapped her arm around Tim’s and allowed herself to be walked off. Selina grinned, watching Tim be a true gentleman.

“Selina, may I have a word?” Diana asked quietly.

“Of course,” Selina replied, moving off with Diana.

“How do you think the talk will go?” Oliver asked, stepping beside Bruce.

“Don’t know, with Selina it could go either way.” Bruce admitted, taking a sip of his drink. “I’m still curious as to why Cassie’s here.”

“Probably extra incentive. Let’s hope this pans out without spilt drinks.” Oliver replied, watching the two women.


	4. The Ulterior Motive

“I have to admit, there’s a bit of an ulterior motive for my being here,” Diana admitted, taking a drink from a passing waiter for herself and handing one to Selina.

“What’s that then?” Selina inquired, taking a small sip.

“The Justice League is aware of your persona as Catwoman.” Diana started.

“I thought so. Batman probably warned you about me.” Selina huffed, taking a slightly heavier drink from her glass.

“Not exactly. He also, however, mentioned you have taken a protégé as well.” Diana continued.

“I found a stray and I took him in. Surely you understand that Wonder Woman, since you have Wonder Girl.” Selina quipped. A small frown creased Diana’s forehead but she ploughed through that comment.

“Many people aren’t aware that the Justice League has a covert team working under the radar.” Diana said.

“We are. They harass Stray enough.” Selina replied.

“I wasn’t aware that the team had met your protégé.” Diana admitted, her tone apologetic. “Nonetheless, I’m here with an open invitation for your protégé to join the team. We’d like to train him to use his skills to help people. We’d very much appreciate it if you considered the opportunity.” She explained, getting to the point. Selina mulled the offer over for a few seconds before a thought struck her.

“Why are you asking me first? Surely it’s _his_ decision.” Selina inquired.

“You’re his guardian. We wanted you to know before anything was done.” Diana replied.

“What if he says yes? What’ll happen then?” Selina questioned.

“Then Batman will take over.” Diana replied. They’d obviously been planning this.

“Was this Batman’s idea?” Selina asked, a small suspicion in the back of her mind. Diana took a sip of her drink instead of answering and Selina got the idea. “I’ll give him the invitation. Now, let’s rejoin the party, we’re missing out.” Selina promised, giving Diana a small smile.


	5. The Invitation

“Oh, I have to say I’m proud of you Timmy. I can’t keep a conversation with a Gordon for the life of me. And you chatted for ages.” Selina said, opening the apartment door and dropping her keys in the small bowl by the door. Tim stepped through after her, already shedding his jacket.

“I like talking to Barbara, we’ve got the same interests and she doesn’t drone on like the other police people at these events. Grayson’s okay but a bit too bubbly.” Tim replied, relieved to be home.

“What about Cassie? You two seemed to hit it off.” Selina probed, giving him a knowing smile.

“Wonder Girl? Not my type, too... heroic.” Tim said, shrugging his shoulders.

“Really? That’s funny.” Selina said, deliberately being vague.

“What?”

“Diana gave you an open invitation to join the Junior Justice League at the party.” Selina admitted, carefully taking her jewellery off.

“What’d you say?” Tim asked.

“I said I’d pass on the message.” Selina said simply. “They want to give you the chance to be a hero and give you training. What do you say?”

“It couldn’t _hurt_ to give it a shot, right? I mean, if I don’t think I’m hero material, I could always quit. What would you do?” Tim replied, looking at Selina earnestly. A sympathetic smile formed on Selina’s face and she pulled him into a hug.

“I think this is completely your choice Timmy and I don’t mind either way. But if you start going Batman on me I may have to hold an intervention.” She said, softly.

“Okay, I’ll give it a shot. Maybe it’ll get Nightwing off my back and he’ll stop sending the kids after me.” Tim decided.


	6. I Accept, Alright

“I know you’re there,” Tim stated, crouched on a rooftop. His goggles were secured over his eyes and the whip was hanging from his hip.

A figure stepped into the weak sunlight but still tried to stay in the shadows (which Gotham wasn’t in short supply of).

“Did Diana pass on the message?” Batman asked, his voice gravelly.

“Yep.” Tim said, glancing at the Bat over his shoulder.

“What do you say?” Batman said. He had a way of making everything sound like a demand.

“A lot of things really. I’ve been speaking for years now so I do say a lot.” Tim replied, smirking slightly. “Oh, you mean about the invitation to join your super secret after school club. Sure.”

“You’re agreeing?” Batman repeated for clarification.

“Yes. I accept the invitation.” Tim elaborated, standing up.

“Then follow me.” Batman ordered, turning away. Tim stood up and shrugged slightly. Why the hell not? His weekends are boring anyway.


	7. Smarter Than He Looks

“What the hell is this?” Tim demanded, looking at the run-down photo booth Batman had led him to.

“Our transport.” Batman replied shortly.

“I knew you were batty but how are we going to get anywhere in a photo booth?” Tim inquired, folding his arms over his chest. Batman raised an eyebrow under the cowl at the pun and faced him.

“What do you know about Zeta beams?” He asked. Tim was silent for a few seconds before speaking again.

“Wait, this is a Zeta beam transporter? You could have said that Bats instead of being all cryptic.” Tim said, eyes widening in slight understanding.

“You catch on quick. We’ve already logged you in and given you a designation.” Batman replied.

“It seems like you were expecting me to say yes, Batman.” Tim noticed. The corner of the older man’s lips tugged upwards and he opened the photo booth door for Tim.

“I’ll introduce you to the team leader when we get to the Cave.” Batman stated.


	8. Meet The Team

The computer announced their arrival loudly, echoing around the large open space that was the mission room. A few people were stood waiting for them and Tim’s eye automatically swept the area, taking it in and searching for traps. One of the figures was glancing between Batman and the newcomer, a frown settled on his face as if he was figuring out a puzzle. And Tim didn’t appreciate that.

“Well this is a warm welcome, isn’t it?” Tim stated rhetorically, letting the purr slip into his voice. It was instinct and it got results. Tim’s eyes landed on Nightwing and a Cheshire grin settled over him. “Hey, Nightie. I didn’t know you hung out here. Learn something new every day.”

“Stray, we talked about that nickname.” Nightwing replied, glaring at him behind the mask. A small snicker sounded from beside Nightwing and Tim saw a little boy with... _green skin_. Well you didn’t see _that_ often in Gotham.

“ _Nightie?_ ” The boy repeated, barely holding back his giggles. He looked barely older than Tim.

“Shut up, Beast Boy.” Nightwing snapped, folding his arms over his chest huffily. The red-haired girl beside him smiled and rested her hand on his shoulder comfortingly. Okay, there was _something_ between them besides being teammates.

“Stray,” Batman began, bringing his attention back to him. “These are some of our team members.”

“Really? I could have sworn they were just fancy doormen.” Tim retorted without missing a beat. “And doorwoman.” He added, glancing at the red-head girl. Batman glared at him.

“Sir, may I have a word?” The boy who was giving him distasteful looks asked. Batman nodded and moved off slightly, the boy catching up with him. Tim shrugged and moved forwards towards the trio of heroes.

“So, you accepted.” Nightwing stated.

“ _Noooo_.” Tim drawled, drawing out the word for a few seconds. “Batman just let me in here for the kicks.”

“That’s not what I was getting at.” Nightwing snapped coldly.

“What he means is, we’re glad you did accept.” The girl jumped in.

“Ah, Batgirl, there aren’t enough pretty jewels in the world to keep me away.” Tim teased, deliberately leaning forwards slightly and taking her hand, holding it in his palm formally. Batgirl shook her head and looked away, rolling her eyes and retracting her arm.

“Wait, how do you know each other?” Beast Boy asked, looking at the three of them suspiciously.

“It’s impossible to be a thief in Gotham without running into one of the Bats at some point. I just happen to be blessed with the ability to attract trouble.” Tim responded, looking the boy up and down and being sure he knew.

Tim strained his ears to hear the conversation behind him.

“I admit I am still wary about allowing a thief onto the team.” The boy admitted.

“He’s neutral, just like his mentor. The point of him being on this team is to try to and show him that it’s better to be a hero. A second chance. You of all people should know what that feels like, Aqualad.” Batman replied.

“I still have my doubts.” The boy pressed.

“I understand, but try to keep an open mind. You _are_ the team leader, after all. And you didn’t have a problem with allowing Artemis to remain on the team. ” Batman snapped, an air of finality in his voice.


	9. The Team Mates Don't Know How To Take It

“Hey, Gar, when’s the new kid getting here?” A new voice asked, walking into the living space distractedly. Tim slipped off the sofa and silently manoeuvred himself to the kitchen, successfully passing the newcomer without bringing any attention to himself. Beast Boy’s eyes followed him for a second before he looked up at the person.

“Any time now, I guess. Batman definitely said soon.” He lied, resisting the urge to look at Tim. Tim crawled up onto the counter and perched for a few seconds, completely silent.

“Well I hope they get here soon.” The person said.

“Hey, Cassie, can you get me a drink from the kitchen?” Beast Boy asked, taking Tim’s lead expertly.

“Your legs work.” Cassie retorted.

“ _Pleeeeese_.” Gar pleaded, stretching out towards her over the back of the sofa and giving her puppy eyes.

“Fine but you owe me.” Cassie relented, giving him a pointed glare before turning to face the kitchen. Her eyes landed on Tim and she jumped back a few steps, her legs catching on the back of the sofa so she almost fell over backwards. Tim smiled at her evilly.

“You must be _Hell_ during an ambush.” He commented, tilting his head to the side.

“What are you doing here?!” Cassie demanded, recovering from her fright quite expertly. Beast Boy was in fits of laughter in the sofa behind her, curling in on himself and clutching his stomach.

“Hi, I’m your new teammate. You can call me what you like, but I _prefer_ Stray.” Tim introduced, giving a small wave.

“You _arse_!” Cassie declared, grabbing a cushion off the sofa and throwing it at him. Tim jumped up and flipped off the counter expertly to avoid the cushion (which crashed into the kitchen island and knocked a bunch of utensils to the floor).

“That’s not nice. Didn’t Wondy ever tell you not to throw things?” Tim said, landing gracefully on the floor and extending to his full height.

“A few days ago you were a criminal!” Cassie accused, glaring at him.

“I like to keep my options open.” Tim replied, leaning in close to Cassie for a second to whisper in her ear, “ _As I’m sure you’d like to find out_.” He drew back and smiled triumphantly at the blush on Cassie’s face.

“What’d he say?” Beast Boy asked Cassie, seeing her expression change. Residual giggles were beginning to fade as he calmed down.

“So where’s Zippy? I was looking forwards to see him again.” Tim asked, leaning against the kitchen counter nonchalantly.

“Zippy? Actually, it’s Impulse.” Impulse corrected, running into the room and stopping beside the group.

“But Zippy has a nice ring to it. It has a _promise_ to it.” Tim said, tilting his head to the side cutely. Like a cat demanding to be stroked. Impulse looked at him for a moment, trying to decipher what that meant.

“Are you joining the team, Stray?” Impulse asked, curiously. Tim raised a hand and extended his index finger and thumb to form a gun shape with his hand.

“Right on the money.” Tim purred, flattening his thumb.

“I bet you’re used to that.” Cassie muttered, desperately trying to cover up her embarrassment from before.

“Aww, Wonder Girl, you hold such a low opinion of me.” Tim cooed, putting a little hurt into his voice. “I’d ask what I have to do to change it but I feel like I already have an idea that both us would agree to.” Tim added. Cassie looked away again and coughed slightly, battling against the blood that was rushing to her cheeks.

“Bart?” Yet a new voice said, approaching the living space. Tim looked up as a handsome, tanned boy in a hoodie walked in. His hair was cut close to his head and he had very elegant features. He would be _fun_.

“Hey, Blue. Just greeting the new kid.” Bart replied, zipping over to the boy’s side, throwing his arm over his shoulders.

“Hey,” The boy greeted awkwardly, seeing Tim for the first time.

“I’m Stray; ‘ _the new kid’_ as Zippy so _eloquently_ put it.” Tim said, the purr firmly back in his voice.

“I’m Jaime, the Blue Beetle.” Jaime replied.

“A title. _Classy_.” Tim drawled. “I have a title, but I don’t think it’s appropriate for _younger_ ears.” He said leaning towards Jaime and circling him.

“Is it your job to make everyone feel as uncomfortable as you can?” Cassie demanded. Tim gave her a small smile.

“It comes with the suit.” Tim winked. He held up his hand and revealed a thin black leather wallet between his fingers. “Along with other perks. You probably want this back.” Tim looked at Jaime, who stared at him and hurriedly checked his pockets. A frown settled over his face and he snatched his wallet out of Tim’s hand.

“That was cool! How’d you do that?” Beast Boy asked, kneeling on the sofa and looking at Tim with acute admiration in his eyes.

“I can’t reveal _all_ my secrets.” Tim whispered. “Other things, _yes_ ,” He added, giving a deliberate look to the other, closer to his age members. He got his desired reaction by making Cassie and Jaime glance away and Bart look slightly traumatized.

“Stray.” Nightwing said, striding into the room. “Stop making your teammates uncomfortable, it’s only your first day. Come on, I want a word.” He said, a very small smirk in his voice. Tim followed him, but not without brushing against Bart’s shoulder slightly and giving him a small wink. Bart didn’t seem to know how to respond to the action.


	10. Clearing The Air

“Why are you doing this?” Nightwing asked, closing the door to the consult room Black Canary usually used. It was empty and soundproof.

“Doing what?” Tim replied innocently, tilting his head again.

“Tim, drop it. Stop being _Stray_ for just a moment and talk to me properly.” Nightwing snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. Tim pushed his goggles onto his forehead and wrinkled his nose.

“Now _you_ stop being the Batman wannabe.” He retorted. Nightwing glared at him.

“That was uncalled for.” He stated.

“Sending various members of the team to scout me out is also uncalled for. I’m sure Batman didn’t authorize those ‘recon missions’ you sent the team on.” Tim countered.

“You can’t blame me for keeping an eye on you. You suddenly disappear and then a few weeks later, _Stray_ comes to life. What _happened_ _to you_ Tim?” Nightwing’s voice softened slightly with concern and Tim felt his anger falter.

“I didn’t disappear. My dad _died_ , Dick.” Tim hissed, feeling the hurt and anger well up in his chest. “I needed breathing room. Away from Batman and his intense training.”

“How’d you end up with Selina? You could have come to us, Tim.” Dick said, a bit taken aback by this information.

“She was already practically family and she took me in without a second thought. Unlike everyone else who ignored what happened.” Tim replied, directing his anger at the boy in front of him. “Bruce would only care about it if it interrupted my training for something I wasn’t even sure about becoming! Being ready for me to succeed Jason when the time came was always more important than Tim Drake’s simple little life.”

“So you became a thief.” Dick said.

“Well, I was done trying to be like all of you.” Tim hissed.

“If you’re done, why did you accept the offer?” Dick inquired, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. That question made Tim straighten his back and look Dick straight in the eye.

“Just because I stop trying to be Gotham’s next great crime-fighter, doesn’t mean I’ve stopped helping people. I just realised that I like helping myself sometimes too. And there’s plenty of crime in the darker areas which never gets stopped, especially when you and the Bat are too busy hunting down the same five psychos that never stay in one place.” Tim stated, staring him down.

“So it’s not completely out the question for Tim Drake to be a hero again.” Dick said, a miniscule smile on his face.

“Like I said, I like to keep my options open.” Tim repeated, pulling his goggles back over his eyes and leaving the door, slamming it behind him to get rid of that last bit of anger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm kind of mixing canons with this chapter, but since Tim's background isn't really explained in the show I thought it'd be okay :))


	11. Mother Cat Knows When Her Kitten Needs Help

“Tim? You’re back early. I thought you’d stay out a bit longer.” Selina said, walking into the living room through the front door. She stopped when she saw Tim curled up tightly on the couch. With the grace of a cat, she placed the shopping bags in her hands on the kitchen counter, padded over and crouched beside his head. She saw trails of tears on his cheeks and felt her heart clench. He’d cried himself to sleep again. Poor kitten.

“Oh, Timmy,” She whispered, reaching out and gently brushing his hair off his face. Even in his sleep, Tim moved into her touch. It was a simple movement but it moved Selina into an emotion that only Tim seemed to be able to draw out of her. It was like protectiveness mixed with platonic adoration.

A few hours later, Tim opened his eyes and looked around. He was in his room and not on the couch where he distinctly remembers falling asleep. A small note was on his bedside table and he reached out to take it. It was folded into a cats head and Tim could tell it was from Selina. He unfolded and read the slanted writing.

‘ _Hey, Kitten. There’s some food in the microwave for you since I figured you’d be hungry when you woke up. There’s also some of that hot chocolate you really like. I’ve gone out so don’t wait up. I’ve gone to see a man about a Bat._ ’ Tim read, a small smile on his face.

The skin on his cheeks felt tight and he scrubbed his face, remembering why he fell asleep in the first place. Softly, Tim walked into the bathroom and doused his face with water, looking at his reflection. He looked _tired_. For the first time in a long time, he looked like Tim from before: exhausted, done and vulnerable. And Tim _hated_ the person in the mirror.

The person in the mirror wasn’t who he was now. He hadn’t been _that_ Tim since Selina took him in.

Tim left the bathroom, hastily drying his face with a towel. A mug was already placed on the counter that was still warm from the hot chocolate inside. Selina couldn’t have left that long ago then, if the drink wasn’t cold. Tim took it and sat on one of the kitchen stools, resting his elbows on the counter.

“So, Tim,” Tim said aloud, knowing full well he probably sounded crazy to anyone else. “Should we continue with the whole hero-thing or should we call it quits?” He asked himself, taking a sip of his drink.

“Well, Tim, I dunno. If we carry on being a part of the team, then we’ll have to face Nightwing on a frequent basis but it’s fun to be around people my age who aren’t total _idiots_. Why don’t you brave tomorrow and see how you feel? I mean, it’s not like I signed anything that’ll stop me from leaving. I’ll give it a day and make my mind up later.” Tim decided, draining his mug.

“First sign of madness is talking to yourself.” Selina commented, slipping in through the window and landing on the carpet quietly. She had her catsuit on and her whip was hanging limply on her hip. She slipped her cowl off her head and shook out her hair. “The second is answering.”

“Sanity’s overrated anyway.” Tim replied, placing his mug in the sink.

“It is, kitten.” Selina agreed, ruffling Tim’s hair fondly.


	12. The Bird and Cat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This actually took ages to get down - purely because I didn't know how to go about this, but I think I did okay in the end

“Stray, you’re back!” Beast Boy said, turning around to face Tim as he exited the zeta beam transporter.

“It was this or homework.” Tim replied, smiling slyly.

“Well you made it in time for training, Stray.” Black Canary said, drawing the attention back to her. Tim could see half the team standing around the edge of training area, all standing to attention. Tim stepped in line, resting his hands on his hips. Cassie shot him a look. Bart and Jaime didn’t really look away but they knew Tim was ticking Cassie off just by being present.

“Well, if I’d known it was going to be _you_ taking the lesson...” Tim began cheekily. Black Canary looked at him as if she was used to dealing with this behaviour from the team (and from what Tim had heard about Wally, he wasn’t surprised).

“Since it’s your first training session, I’ll cut you some slack.” Canary said. “But the rest of you aren’t going to be sparring with me anymore. I’m going to pair you up as sparring partners for today and I don’t want you to hold back.” She instructed. The zeta beams behind them whirred into life and a new figure stepped forwards. Tim glanced over his shoulder and instantly turned back around.

“Sorry I’m late I got held up by an armed robbery on my way over.” The newcomer apologised, falling into line beside Tim. His eyes were hidden behind a domino mask and he let his cape settle around him. Robin. Jason. _Shit_.

“It’s okay, Robin.” Canary said. “Wonder Girl, you and Impulse are sparring partners. Blue Beetle, you’re with Beast Boy. And Robin, meet Stray: newest member and your sparring partner. Now spread out and I want _fair_ fights. Use abilities to your advantages; the point of this is to knock your opponent off balance, effectively giving you the upper hand.” She explained, moving off the flooring to give the pairs space.

“So _you’re_ ‘Stray’? You wouldn’t happen to be Catwoman’s kid, would you?” Robin said, raising his hands to shoulder height.

“You’re the newest Bat, you should know.” Tim replied, unhooking his whip from his hip as a precaution. The other pairs were already starting to spar, while the two of them were just sizing each other up.

“Sorry I wasn’t here for your big induction, I was a bit busy.” Robin apologised, throwing a punch. Tim jumped up, planting his hands on Robin’s shoulders and bringing his feet up to kick off. Robin stumbled, but picked himself up expertly. Tim landed and spun around, staying close to the ground.

“Oh, it’s no big deal. I wasn’t expecting you to worry your pretty head about it, anyway.” Tim countered.

“Huh, I guess you aren’t totally useless if you can land that jump.” Robin chided, starting to feel competitiveness swell in his chest.

“Oh, I’m _far_ from useless.” Tim retorted slyly, hooking his whip around Robin’s ankle and tugging it back. Robin barely managed to stop himself from hitting the ground and Tim took the opportunity to advance. “ _Jason_.” Tim whispered close to Robin so only he could hear. Robin stood up quickly and stared at Tim critically. Tim felt a small sense of victory creep up on him.

He almost didn’t see Robin’s arms grab his shoulders or his leg hook around Tim’s calf to force him to the floor.

“Game. Set. Match. I win. Canary, can we be excused I need to talk to the cat.” Jason said hurriedly, gripping the front of Tim’s costume and dragging him up from the floor. He pulled Tim away from the area, to the astonishment of the others.

“Well that wasn’t odd and suspicious.” Cassie stated, looking over her shoulder at where the two boys disappeared to. Black Canary narrowed her eyes for a split second before recovering her demeanour.

“I’ll have a word with them later, for now; continue training.” She ordered.


	13. Confession Time

“Robin, let go of me!” Tim demanded. Jason threw open a door to a spare room and practically threw Tim inside. Jason stepped inside and slammed the door shut. He took a few steps forwards towards Tim and ripped his goggles off his eyes.

“Hey! What are you doing?” Tim demanded, feeling exposed. When Jason took his goggles off, he also pushed back his hood, revealing Tim’s tousled hair and conveniently shattering his illusion of a secret identity.

Jason stared at him for a few moments, clutching Tim’s orange goggles in his fist.

“Can I have my goggles back?” Tim asked, breaking the silence. Jason suddenly threw his arms around Tim’s shoulders, hugging him.

“Tim!” He exclaimed, as if he couldn’t believe that he was really standing in front of him.

“Yeah, it’s me. I was expecting another intervention to be honest. What’s with the hug?” Tim replied, seriously confused. Jason pulled back, holding him at arm’s length. “You _never_ hug _anyone_. Ever.”

“I heard about what happened to Jack. And then you just disappeared. I thought maybe they’d gone after you as well. Bruce was worried _sick_. He followed a fake trail for a fortnight before he found out Selina took you in. He told us to give you room to recover and to wait for you to come to us if you wanted to talk.” Jason explained. His expression was caught between happiness and relief that Tim was alright.

“I guess Dick didn’t get that memo. He’s had members of the team trailing me for the last few weeks.” Tim said. He couldn’t help but feel humbled that Jason and Bruce were worried about him – even if he wished they hadn’t kept their distance. It would have been nice if they expressed some of this when Tim needed to hear it.

“Well, he had to hear from one of his cop buddies that told him about the new cat thief and I guess he wanted to keep an eye on you.” Jason replied fairly.

“So why’d he never send you to keep an eye on me?” Tim asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Probably because he didn’t tell me he was having you tracked.” Jason replied.

“Does Bruce know?” Tim continued.

“Probably, since he was the one who wanted you to join the team.” Jason said sarcastically. “He still worries about you, Tim. Once a Bat, always a Bat.” He added cheesily.

“Technically I never _was_ an official Robin. Bruce just started training me.” Tim corrected.

“You’re our little brother, Tim. You’re family. I don’t give a fuck about what costume you wear; you’re still part of the family.” Jason said sternly. “Just like Barbara and Selina.”

“Thanks Jason.” Tim said, giving him a small smile.


	14. Get Ready

“Team, report to the mission room.” Batman’s voice sounded over the cave speakers.

“Come on, Stray, that means you too.” Robin stated, standing up off the sofa. Tim stood up as well and stretched his arms slightly.

“Is it weird I’m a bit excited?” He asked quietly, following Jason to the mission room.

“It is if you want to keep up your thief persona.” Jason replied.

“I’m more of an anti-hero.” Tim corrected, a small smile in his voice.

“Whatever, Leather Head.” Jason quipped, smirking at him. They reached the mission room and saw Nightwing standing in front of the computers with Aqualad beside him. The other available members of the team were standing ready. Miss Martian cast a curious look over Tim but covered it up, having been told about the new member by Nightwing beforehand.

“Okay, team, we’ve got some intel that a group of drug lords have set up base just outside of Star City.” Nightwing stated, clicking a button on the holographic computer.

“We believe a shipment is coming in tonight and we need a set of eyes keeping watch, and another team ready and waiting to act as back up.” Aqualad elaborated.

“Miss Martian, Wonder Girl and Lagoon Boy will be Beta Squad. Robin, Beast boy and Batgirl, you’re going to show Stray the ropes and be Alpha Squad. Alpha will be watching the building from all the most prominent angles. Beta will be stations a safe distance away with the bio ship, ready to be called in.” Nightwing instructed.


	15. The Boring Part of Being A Superhero

“It’s official,” Stray stated, perching in a tree that overlooked the large warehouse they were monitoring. He had one finger on the communicator issued to him and was speaking out loud that he’d been told to do when talking to someone. “Being a hero is boring business.”

He heard a snort of laughter over the comm. link and smirked to himself.

“This is just the boring part of being a hero. As soon as the bad guys show up, _then_ it gets fun.” Batgirl admitted.

“Didn’t Nightwing say not to engage?”  Stray inquired, lying back on the tree branch leisurely.

“What Blue Bird doesn’t know won’t kill him.” Robin said sneakily.

“You do realise your comm. links are open and I can hear what you’re saying.” Nightwing’s voice piped up in Stray’s ear, sounding irritated and exhausted at the same time.

“You aren’t denying the fact that observing is the boring part of heroing.” Stray pointed out, pawing a leaf above him lazily. He heard Nightwing sigh on the other end of the connection and smiled to himself.

“Hang on, what’s that?” Beast Boy asked, turning on his comm. for the first time that mission.

“What’s what, Beast Boy?” Batgirl asked, sounding alert.

“I think I see someone going into the warehouse. And there’s a car pulling up further down the road.” Beast boy relayed.

“Are we going to call Beta?” Robin asked, moving to a better view point.

“Hey, Beast Boy, I can see something running up towards the building. Can you tell what it is?” Batgirl asked, standing up on her rooftop, ready to swing down if she had to.

“I _think_ it’s Stray.” Beast Boy admitted.


	16. Getting to the Fun Part of Superheroing

“Dammit, Tim.” Jason hissed, making sure his communicator was off. He shook his head and hissed a few obscenities under his breath before turning the comm. back on. “Batgirl, tell Beta to stay alert and ready to jump in. I’m going to make sure Stray sticks to the rules. You and Beast Boy find a way in and wait for a signal.” He ordered.

“Got it. Good luck Robin.” Batgirl replied.

“On it, Rob.” Beast Boy confirmed. Jason started moving towards the building, skirting around the edge to find Tim. He saw him, standing over a man, who was slumped against the wall. The man had four deep gashes across his chest that were bleeding into his shirt silently. His head was lolling on his shoulder and if Jason didn’t know better, he would have thought Tim had killed the man.

“ _Damn_. _What did you do to him_?” Jason hissed, walking up to the two of them.

“It’s just a sleeping drug that I dipped the claws into. He’ll be out for a good few hours.” Tim promised, holding up his clawed gloves in the moonlight. A clear liquid glinted over the points and a bead was slowly running down his fingers.

“Remind me not to piss _you_ off.” Jason muttered, moving over to the key pad beside the back door of the warehouse. He took a small cable out of his gauntlet and plugged it in the keypad circuit, pulling the holographic computer on his wrist.

“What are you doing, Robin?” Tim asked, standing next to him.

“I’m hacking the lock, what does it look like?” Jason retorted, not looking up at him.

“Don’t waste your time.” Tim said, holding up a small plastic card. “I have his pass.” He slid the card between the key port and the door clicked open gently.

“Shut up.” Jason snapped, sensing Tim’s witty quip was on its way.

“I’m not saying a word.” Tim said, slipping through the door silently. Jason followed, placing a batarang between the door and the doorframe so keep it open.


	17. Great at Being Sneaky

“What’s in the crates?” Tim asked quietly, watching the men unload multiple trucks into the empty warehouse space. Jason glanced at him from their hiding place.

“Nightwing just said it was a drug. Does it matter which?” He asked, keeping his voice low.

“Yes.” Tim said shortly. “I need to get closer to the shipment.” He muttered, peering at the piles of crates.

“Do you think you can manage that with all the guys monitoring the shipment?” Jason inquired, a note of humoured disbelief in his voice.

“You seem to forget that I was trained by Batman _and_ Catwoman. I’m great at being sneaky.” Tim stated, slipping out of their hiding place and fluidly ducking behind a box further away.

“ _Stray_!” Jason hissed. Tim ignored him, swiftly rolling behind one of the shipment crates, pressing his body flat against the wood. He quickly checked he wasn’t seen and began reading the label.

Slowly, Tim raised a hand to the top of his goggles and pressed the miniscule button along the rim. An almost silent shutter sound played and Tim ducked back into the shadows, making his way back to Jason.

“Hey,” Tim whispered, sliding up to the hiding place.

“Okay, I’ll admit you’re good at being sneaky.” Jason admitted, looking slightly impressed. “See what was in the boxes?” Tim nodded.

“Vertigo.” He answered quietly.

“Like in Count Vertigo?” Jason asked, a small smirk in his voice.

“No, like the drug Vertigo. I’ve seen some dealings in Gotham, even broken up a few fights that were over _this_ drug. It’s meant to be highly addictive and extremely hard to quit. It’s driven people mad. Driven more to unspeakable crimes to satisfy the cravings. Killed even more.” Tim admitted, a harsh tone coming over him which surprised Jason a little.

“How come the Bat hasn’t caught on then if it’s such a problem?” Jason questioned.

“He’s probably too busy casing the Joker or the Injustice League to focus on the slums of Gotham and the junkies there.” Tim hissed. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

“So I’m guessing the hero business is about to get a bit more exciting.” Jason muttered, peering over the low wall they were crouched behind.

“We need to get higher up. I can’t see a damn thing from here.” Tim whispered.

“Okay, but remember, we need to be stealthy.” Jason teased, only to find himself talking to no one as Tim had already started climbing a metal ladder nearby.


End file.
